Publisher: Next step in newspaper's quest for excellence

Customers and community leaders consistently ask the same question: "How is the Herald-Tribune doing?"

As your publisher, I appreciate the question because it reflects the importance of our longtime relationship with you. People ask that question when they care.

I'm also happy to respond. The Herald-Tribune is doing well. Very well.

We've gone through significant change in the past year, but we're extremely confident in the Herald-Tribune Media Group's financial direction and our ongoing commitment to provide readers with valuable local news. Our business customers are reaching the largest, most engaged audience in this market. No other news website in this market has our reach.

A few months ago, I was asked to be on a Sarasota Tiger Bay Club panel about the media's future. I made two statements that are worth repeating.

One, I made it clear that the Herald-Tribune will continue publishing and delivering our award-winning daily newspaper well into the future. This is a great newspaper market. The reduced-print model adopted in other metropolitan areas, such as New Orleans, doesn't make sense here.

In fact, we've created 13 new jobs in Sarasota to ensure customer-service issues are taken care of locally and not from some out-of-country call center. We've hired more than 40 employees this year for new and open positions while continuing to invest in our company and community.

Two, you've told us repeatedly that our content is valuable. We're working harder than ever to provide the best possible content to make sure the news our readers need is available 24/7.

So, just as our print readers have always paid for their newspaper, our digital users also will pay for the content they consume online.

We will introduce full-access subscriptions to our digital products starting Tuesday, Aug. 13. Those who subscribe to our print edition will continue to receive full digital access as part of their subscription at no extra cost.

If you're a home-delivery subscriber to the Herald-Tribune, this won't mean any change. You will continue to receive access to Herald-Tribune content online, including the e-newspaper edition (a digital replica of the newspaper), your mobile phone and your tablet. All you need to do is "activate" your subscription online to gain complete access to our digital products. To activate access to these digital products, go to www.HeraldTribune.com/activate starting Tuesday, Aug. 6.

The Herald-Tribune Media Group provides a significant volume and depth of award-winning local reporting in our family of print and digital products. This investment and service to the community has great value. No other media organization employs more journalists or employees in the market than the Herald-Tribune Media Group. Our advertisers understand that the services and products they provide have value. Metered access follows that same business principle by giving you valuable news and information online and on the go.

To maintain vast, substantial and interesting online content, we have opted for a "metered access" approach. Readers can view up to five (5) articles free every 30 days. For access beyond that threshold, digital-only readers are required to subscribe. Of course, home-delivery subscribers who register for full-digital access will receive unlimited views of articles at no extra cost.

Even if someone opts for a digital-only subscription, the cost is $9.95 per month, which breaks down to about 33 cents a day to get continuous news updates and full access to news stories, videos and a deep lineup of popular niche sites such as www.TicketSarasota.com, www.ArtsSarasota.com and www.HTPreps.com.

The Herald-Tribune's e-newspaper edition and award-winning mobile/tablet apps provide the versatility of getting local news wherever you may travel. It's deep, local news that tackles important issues, keeps people informed, celebrates achievements, brings people together and looks after your tax dollars.

Many loyal Herald-Tribune readers may look back on 2012 as a year of uncertainty. The Herald-Tribune changed ownership, becoming part of Florida-based Halifax Media Group. I became publisher in October. Three months later, after a national search, I hired a new executive editor.

My priorities as publisher have been to learn the community, hear from you and ensure that the Herald-Tribune Media Group remains an important and viable partner in your lives.

Our news staff has improved the newspaper's design, added new features and forged stronger community partnerships while continuing to produce nationally recognized investigative journalism.

The recent "Breaking the Banks" investigative series by Anthony Cormier and Michael Braga affirms our commitment to go after the tough, complicated story. The congressional travel story by Jeremy Wallace published in May prompted U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-North Carolina, to amend a defense bill that forces members of Congress to accurately report the cost of using military aircraft to fly overseas.

You may have noticed:

• Only one area newspaper was in the Grand Canyon area when Nik Wallenda made his historic walk.

No media outlet has taken a leadership role like the Herald-Tribune in tackling topics such as pension costs, the homelessness problem and the regional housing market.

• No other local media company maintains its own state bureau in Tallahassee.

• No other local media company operates local news and advertising offices in Sarasota, East Manatee County and Venice.

The best part is, we're not done.

We're expanding community-level coverage, adding new features (such as our recent niche website for veterans) and working on other investigative journalism projects.

Most important of all, we want to continue hearing from you.

The Herald-Tribune publishes thousands of letters from readers, and we have increased the number of guest columnists on our Opinion pages.

We've sponsored hundreds of community events and take seriously our leadership role on projects such as Season of Sharing and the Legacy of Valor.

Our business model is changing to reflect the value of our content and the importance of audience engagement.

For subscribers, registering for unlimited digital access means you can keep in touch with updated, Pulitzer-winning local news. Anywhere. Any time.

Thank you for your business. You're the reason we are optimistic about the future.

Patrick Dorsey is publisher of Herald-Tribune Media Group. He can be reached at 941-361-4571 or patrick.dorsey@HeraldTribune.com